Champions add to the pressure on Shelbourne

Sligo Rovers 2 Shelbourne 0

Sligo Rovers secured three points with a comfortable win over bottom of the table Shelbourne at the Showgrounds last night.

The Dubliners played with a lot more enterprise in the second half of a game watched by a crowd of 1,764 and their best chance of the second half arrived in the 69th minute when Lee Murtagh forced Rovers keeper Gary Rogers into a top drawer save and Derek Doyle went close for Johnny McDonnells side after 77 minutes.

Earlier Sligo came closest to opening the scoring on 11 minutes but Lee Lynch was unable to make the move count in front of goal.

Raffaele Cretaro making his 388 appearance for the Bit O'Red and Kieran Djilali both spurned chances before Sligo took the lead after 25 minutes.

The league champions went ahead when skipper Danny Ventre headed a Djilali free kick to the net. Danny North fired an effort wide and when Robert Cornwall sent a good ball into the Sligo goal area on 38 minutes the ball eluded his Shelbourne team-mates.

But relegation-threatened Shelbourne were caught napping two minutes later when Iarflaith Davoren doubled the Reds advantage with a sizzling low shot.

SLIGO ROVERS: Rogers, Keane, Peers (McMillan, 79), Henderson, Davoren, Ventre, Cawley (McMillan, 71), Lynch, Djilali (Conneely, 88), Cretaro.
SHELBOURNE: Murphy, McGlynn, Brennen (Waksh, 79), Murtagh (Murtagh, 85), Flynn, Andrews, Hurley. O'Connor, Cornwall (Conneely, 85), Gannon, Doyle.
Referee: A Buttimer (Dublin).